Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman (INQUIRER file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The resolution filed at the House of Representatives against the resumption of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe into the country’s war on drugs under the Duterte administration cannot conceal the thousands of deaths reported and recorded, Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman said on Friday
Lagman, in a statement said that House Resolution No. 780 filed by several lawmakers including another former president, Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cannot wipe out the complaints filed against Duterte.
“The alleged crimes against humanity of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts cannot be cleansed in the laundromat of the House of Representatives,” Lagman, who is also Liberal Party’s president, said.
“Although the verbiage of House Resolution No. 780 urges the House of Representatives to defend Duterte against the resumption of the investigation of the [ICC] prosecutors, it does not deny that from 6,000 to 30,000 alleged drug suspects, mostly from the marginalized sectors, have been summarily killed in the wake of Duterte’s murderous campaign against illegal drugs,” he added.
Duterte and his allies have maintained that ICC cannot interfere with the country’s affairs as it only intervenes when a country’s justice system has stopped functioning.
“While the justice system in the Philippines is functioning, the fact is not a single case has been filed and prosecuted against Duterte for his alleged crimes against humanity,” Lagman said.
“Considering the default of the Philippine justice system in favor of Duterte, the proper forum now is the ICC which has jurisdiction over covered crimes committed before the Philippines conveniently withdrew from the Rome Statute at the behest of Duterte himself,” Lagman added.
Arroyo and 18 other lawmakers announced on Thursday that the resolution was filed after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber approved the resumption of investigation against Duterte.
Complaints for the crime against humanity of mass murder were filed against Duterte and other implementers of the drug war before the ICC, for allegedly conducting a systematic killing of suspects in the anti-drug campaign.
Last January, ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber authorized the resumption of the probe as the investigations the Philippine government were insufficient.